Systems and methods for storing programs

Abstract

Systems and methods are described for storing programs. For example, a media guidance application (e.g., executed on a server) may determine that a user has been watching a program (e.g., a movie) for longer than a particular time threshold (e.g., 20 minutes for a movie), and that the user has requested to access a different program (e.g., an episode of a series broadcast on another channel). In response to determining that the user has been watching the program (e.g., the movie) for longer than the particular time threshold (e.g., 20 minutes for the movie), and that the user has requested to access the different program (e.g., the episode of a series broadcast on another channel), the media guidance application may perform an action to store the initial program (e.g., the movie) before executing the request to access the different program.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for storing content, the method comprising:
 accessing, at a first time, a media asset received from a content source; 
 determining a length of time the media asset has been accessed since the first time; 
 comparing the determined length of time to a threshold value associated with the media asset; and 
 in response to determining that the determined length of time exceeds the threshold value:
 determining whether a user request to access a different media asset from a different content source is received; and 
 in response to determining that the user request to access the different media asset has been received, performing an action corresponding to storage of the media asset before executing a command corresponding to the user request to access the different media asset. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the comparing of the determined length of time to the threshold value associated with the media asset comprises:
 storing a database that includes a plurality of access time threshold entries each with a corresponding access time threshold field and a media characteristic field; 
 determining a characteristic of the media asset based on metadata associated with the media asset, wherein the characteristic of the media asset includes at least one of a title, a genre, a category, a duration, a size, a popularity, and a quality; 
 searching the media characteristic fields of the plurality of access time threshold entries stored in the database to identify a given media characteristic field having a value that matches the determined characteristic; and 
 retrieving, as the threshold value, a value stored in the access time threshold field that is associated with the identified given media characteristic field, 
 
 wherein the determining of the length of time the media asset has been accessed since the first time is based on a difference between a current time and the first time. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determining of whether the user request to access a different media asset from the different content source is received comprises:
 monitoring commands received from a user input device; and 
 searching a list of commands associated with access to different content to determine whether any command received from the user input device matches any of the commands stored in the list. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , wherein the command received from the user input device includes a channel change command. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the performing of the action comprises automatically storing the media asset on a storage device. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the performing of the action comprises generating a prompt for presentation to a user that includes a first option to store the media asset before executing the command corresponding to the user request and a second option to execute the command corresponding to the user request without storing the media asset. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determining of whether the user request to access a different media asset from the different content source is received comprises monitoring external components. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the monitoring of the external components comprises receiving status information from each of the external components over a network. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , further comprising determining whether a combination of the status information from each of the external components over the network matches a predefined state. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the external components include a plurality of in-home appliances. 
     
     
       11. A system for storing content, the system comprising:
 a storage device; 
 control circuitry configured to:
 access, at a first time, a media asset received from a content source; 
 determine a length of time the media asset has been accessed since the first time; 
 compare the determined length of time to a threshold value associated with the media asset; and 
 in response to determining that the determined length of time exceeds the threshold value;
 determine whether a user request to access a different media asset from a different content source is received; and 
 in response to determining that the user request to access the different media asset has been received, perform an action corresponding to storage of the media asset in the storage device before executing a command corresponding to the user request to access the different media asset. 
 
 
 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 wherein in the comparing of the determined length of time to the threshold value associated with the media asset, the control circuitry is further configured to:
 store a database that includes a plurality of access time threshold entries each with a corresponding access time threshold field and a media characteristic field; 
 determine a characteristic of the media asset based on metadata associated with the media asset, wherein the characteristic of the media asset includes at least one of a title, a genre, a category, a duration, a size, a popularity, and a quality; 
 search the media characteristic fields of the plurality of access time threshold entries stored in the database to identify a given media characteristic field having a value that matches the determined characteristic; and 
 retrieve, as the threshold value, a value stored in the access time threshold field that is associated with the identified given media characteristic field, 
 
 wherein the determining of the length of time the media asset has been accessed since the first time is based on a difference between a current time and the first time. 
 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 11 , wherein in determining whether the user request to access a different media asset from the different content source is received, the control circuitry is further configured to:
 monitor commands received from a user input device; and 
 search a list of commands associated with access to different content to determine whether any command received from the user input device matches any of the commands stored in the list. 
 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 13 , wherein the command received from the user input device includes a channel change command. 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 11 , wherein in performing the action, the control circuitry is configured to automatically store the media asset on the storage device. 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 11 , wherein in performing the action, the control circuitry is configured to generate a prompt for presentation to a user that includes a first option to store the media asset before executing the command corresponding to the user request and a second option to execute the command corresponding to the user request without storing the media asset. 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 11 , wherein in determining whether the user request to access a different media asset from the different content source is received, the control circuitry is configured to monitor external components. 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 17 , wherein in monitoring external components, the control circuitry is configured to receive status information from each of the external components over a network. 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 18 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to determine whether a combination of the status information from each of the external components over the network matches a predefined state. 
     
     
       20. The system of  claim 17 , wherein the external components include a plurality of in-home appliances.